


Coming Home

by Elennare



Category: High Rollers DnD (Web Series)
Genre: Established Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Gusthaven, Home is a complicated concept, M/M, Near Future, family is a complicated thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-23 08:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23008903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elennare/pseuds/Elennare
Summary: "People keep asking Lucius if he's looking forward to going home, and it bothers him in a way he can't explain."
Relationships: Lucius Virion-Elluin Elenasto & Edea Elenasto, Qillek Ad Khollar/Lucius Virion-Elluin Elenasto
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> For an anonymous prompt on tumblr: U. Coming Home Quillucius! Maybe Gusthaven? Maybe Aarakocra City? Maybe something else?

People keep asking Lucius if he's looking forward to going home, and it bothers him in a way he can't explain. The crew of the Stormchaser hadn’t been planning to visit Gusthaven, but a freak storm struck the main mast and damaged the ship badly enough that repairs were necessary; and when Oriya and Quill put their heads together, they realised that the sky city was their closest port. And of course Lucius wants to see Gusthaven again, wants to see his twin and reassure himself she's well, wants to see what the Virenor sisters have made of the ruins of his family’s estate; but still, the question bothers him. Maybe it's the horrible memories of the last time he was there? (He pushes that thought away, unwilling to dwell on it.) Maybe it’s worry that the mysterious Sky Barons could attack them while the ship is already weakened? Maybe it’s knowing that this delay will eat up time they need to get to their next destination? Maybe he feels guilty to be going back to Gusthaven again when they haven't gone to Vortensaar for Nova yet, when they still barely know anything about Aila's home planet, when they can never take Sentry back to her beloved lost Solwynn? He’s not sure, so he just smiles and agrees and moves on.

* * *

“Quill? Can I ask a favour?” Lucius says that evening, as they leave the mess hall after one of Howard's best meals yet.

“Of course, what is it?” Quill asks.

“Could you send a message - " Lucius suddenly cuts himself off, and says instead, “ - actually, let's wait until we're in my room.”

Quill looks at him curiously, but nods, and they head to the captain's quarters together, hands linked. The crew members they pass salute and smile, well-used to this sight by now.

Once they're inside his room, Lucius says, “I wanted to ask you to send a message to my sister - but no-one's supposed to know she's alive, lucky I remembered in time! Can you tell her we’re coming to Gusthaven? Perhaps she could meet us somewhere?”

“Yes, of course! I can only send up to twenty-five words at a time, though… Maybe we should write the message down first, to make sure I tell her everything important?”

“Good idea.” Sitting down at his desk, Lucius looks up at Quill. “Will she know it’s from you, or should I say that?”

“She’ll hear it in my voice, I think, but I should still say, she might not recognize it - she only met me once.”

Lucius nods, and begins to write. Reading over his shoulder, Quill offers occasional corrections, until they finally have a complete message. Weaving his right hand in the correct motions (even though Nova's new wing has given him a left hand again, he's too used to casting one-handed to change now), Quill sends out the spell.

<<Edea, it’s Quill. Stormchaser arriving at Gusthaven in four days. Lucius asks if you could meet us at the docks, or secret base? Twenty-five words!>>

After a few moments, the answer echoes in his head in Edea's voice, so startlingly similar to her brother's.

<<Secret base is best, I've been using it. The Virenors don't know that, don’t tell them! See you in four days. Give Lucius my love!>>

Lucius smiles on hearing the answer, which Quill repeats out loud as he receives it. “Of course she's been using the secret base in secret. She's so cool.”

Quill smiles. “She is… I'd like to meet her again when we're not, you know, in jail.”

“Just don't like her more than me,” Lucius jokes, and Quill just rolls his eyes. “It'll be good to see her again, and… home…”

Quill looks at him thoughtfully. “Lucius? How do you feel about going back?” he asks, voice soft.

“Oh, fine,” Lucius says with an airy wave, hoping to dismiss the question.

“Really?”

Lucius hesitates a second, then sighs and shakes his head, smiling. “You don't miss much, do you, Birdie?”

“I mean, I try not to… especially when it's you.” Quill ducks his head, embarrassed.

Lucius kisses his cheek. “You're sweet.”

“Come here, sit down and talk to me,” Quill says, taking his hand and tugging him towards the bed. Lucius lets himself be pulled, and they sit down together.

“How do you feel?” Quill repeats his question, looking into Lucius’s eyes, still holding his hand.

“I… don't know,” Lucius replies slowly. “I know it's our closest port, and I do want to see my sister, but… I don't know. I just, it feels strange when people ask if I'm happy to be going home, and I don't know why.”

“Well, last time you were there was… wasn't great,” Quill says. “Is it that?”

Lucius tilts his head. “That's part of it, but I don't think it's everything.”

“Do - do you not want to see your family's house replaced? We don't have to go there if you don't want to, I'm sure Edea could sneak onto our ship too.”

“No, that's fine. I'd rather see it, have something other than the ruins in my memories. It’s not that, but I don't know what it is, I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to know,” Quill says, squeezing his hand in reassurance. “I know going home can be complicated, I - I couldn't have done it, couldn’t have gone back to the Valley, without you. So if - if I can help at all, you'll tell me, won't you?”

“You already do,” Lucius replies, kissing him, then resting his head on his shoulder. “I’ll tell you if I figure anything else out, I promise.”

* * *

Four days later, Lucius stands at the helm as the Stormchaser docks at the shipbuilders’. He’s spent most of the day on the top deck, first looking out for Gusthaven, then watching it grow bigger and bigger as the Stormchaser limped its way towards it. Quill sent messages ahead, so the gnomes are ready and waiting for them. With them are city officials, who check their credentials and welcome them to Gusthaven, with far less fuss now they’re doing things properly than there had been at their last arrival! Lillian and Sprockett shake their heads over the mast and tut at the many repairs they’ve had to do elsewhere, but cheerfully promise to have the ship ready by the next afternoon. Granted a brief shore leave, most of the crew scatters into the city; but Lucius, Quill, Sentry, Nova, and Aila have a dinner invitation from the Virenor sisters.

When his friends come to knock on his door, wondering what's keeping him, Lucius has tried on and discarded pretty much every item of clothing he owns, all of them scattered around the room.

“Lucius, what…” Quill begins, staring first at him in his pants and then around at the mess.

“I can’t go out to dinner! I don’t know what the fashions are! Should I still be trying to disguise myself? I don’t even know what I did with those tinted glasses!”

“Okay, stop!” Aila orders, barging into the room and cutting him off very effectively by placing a hand over his mouth.

“I don’t think you need to disguise yourself, Lucius, we should be safe enough,” Nova says. “Plus, we’re all very recognizable and known as your friends, so even if we aren’t safe I don’t think it would be of much use either?”

“I’m not sure that’s helpful!” Aila retorts, hand still over Lucius’s mouth.

Lucius manages to pull away from her. “No, that does help, it cuts down my choices… I think,” he adds, looking around his room dubiously.

“Any clothes are better than this,” Ailla tells him. “I know you keep going swimming like this, but there’s no swimming here! So, clothes!”

“I think you can discard the Starbane uniform, at least,” Sentry says, frowning at it where it lies over a chair.

“You weren’t seriously considering that, were you?” Nova asks.

“I don’t know! I panicked!” Lucius exclaims.

Quill looks around at the others. “Give us a few minutes?”

“Of course,” Sentry says, nodding to him, and leads Aila and Nova out.

Left alone, Quill pulls Lucius into a gentle hug, rubbing his back and feeling the tension gradually leave him.

“Okay?” he asks, stepping back once Lucius seems calmer.

“Okay,” Lucius replies, looking a little shame-faced. “I don’t know why I panicked like that, I know it’s just a dinner…”

“A dinner back in Gusthaven, as Lord Elenasto,” Quill says, and Lucius sighs.

“Yes, I think that’s it. The nobility’s expected to keep to a certain standard, and I don’t have any clothes that will do, or that would have done when I lived here…”

“I think you always look amazing,” Quill says affectionately.

Lucius snorts. “I think you’re biased.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” Quill laughs. “It’s not a big dinner, just the Virenors. And they know we’ve been travelling and weren’t expecting to come here, I’m sure they won’t be expecting us to dress up. All the rest of us are just wearing our usual things!”

“Yes, you’re right. I can’t look like a noble lord just coming from his estate, so I should embrace looking like a working airship captain.”

“I… suppose that’s what I said,” Quill replies, smiling at him. “Now get dressed, or we’ll be late!”

A few minutes later, Lucius stands at the end of the gangplank, wearing his usual purple coat. With a deep breath, he steps off the plank, and onto Gusthaven. He thinks he should feel happy to be home again, but all he actually feels is growing dread of what lies ahead, of seeing the site of his old home once more. Quill is watching him worriedly, he realises, so he smiles and flicks his fingers upward, casting the dancing lights that will summon a carriage to them. The Virenor sisters had suggested they meet at their manor, then proceed to the new house they've built on the old Elenasto estate and dine there; and despite Sentry’s nervousness around the flying carriages, it’s much too far to walk from the docks. Lucius tries to join in the light chatter of his friends, but from the quick glances Quill gives him, he suspects he’s not doing a great job. He also suspects the others’ lightness is assumed for his benefit, and he loves them all for it.

The three sisters greet them warmly when they arrive. This is easier, Lucius thinks, responding in kind; these are the manners he was trained in until they became second nature. He doesn’t have the dignity and authority his father has - had, but he knows how to be polite and charming, how to act like a noble should. When Edela Virenor suggests they make their way to the Elenasto estate, he agrees gracefully, and is sure no-one notices any hesitation. As they walk, though, he finds his steps becoming slower, finds himself falling to the back of the group. His friends step in to cover for him as his answers become more and more abstracted; to their credit, the Virenor sisters pretend not to notice, switching their conversations smoothly to the others.

At last, they reach the estate. Lucius has been avoiding looking in its direction, the memories of the burnt shell he last saw there threatening to overwhelm him, but he can't put it off any longer. With a deep breath, he looks up - and gasps. It's not the Elenasto mansion, but it's obviously been built to echo it, while still being its own building. The graceful columns, the arched windows - it all wrenches at Lucius's heart. Quill's moved to his side, he realises, and he reaches blindly for him, desperate for something to hold on to. Quill takes his hand, and Lucius clutches at it like he's drowning.

“It's beautiful,” he hears Nova say, clearly trying to break the awkward silence, bless her. “And you built it so fast!”

“Thank you!” Neera Virenor replies. “We have good workers. And we took a great deal of inspiration from the Elenasto estate, we wanted to honour its legacy in the design.”

“I can see that,” Quill says, realising Lucius still can't speak. “It reminds me of the mansion.”

“You knew it?” Carina asks curiously. “I thought your previous visit to Gusthaven was your first time here.”

“Oh, I didn’t - not really - I only saw it once, with magic, but I remember it,” Quill explains.

“I hope we didn't offend, Lord Elenasto?” Edela says.

Pulling himself together, Lucius shakes his head and musters a shaky smile. “Not at all, quite the contrary, I'm honoured you drew inspiration from my family’s home,” he says, voice catching despite his best efforts on the last word. “This is truly beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Edela replies. “The honour has been ours, to be trusted with this work. Won’t you come in? Dinner should be ready shortly.”

Carina’s already gesturing to the guard to open the gates as her sister speaks. Lucius assents for all of them and turns to follow her, then pauses, realising Edela’s eyes are still on him. More precisely, on his hand, still clinging tightly to Quill’s. Is that disapproval in her face? Her eyes meet his, and her eyebrows raise just a fraction, a subtle expression that could be a question or a judgement. Well, two can play at that game. To say anything aloud would be terribly gauche, of course, so Lucius intertwines his fingers with Quill’s and tilts his chin up ever so slightly, an affirmation, a challenge. The woman smiles, and Lucius lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

“Lucius?” Quill half-whispers. “Is everything… is this,” with a glance at their linked hands, “all right?”

“Yes, everything's fine, Birdie,” Lucius replies in the same soft tone, smiling down at him.

Still holding Quill's hand, he moves towards the gates. In part it's a silent defiance to the disapproving ghosts in his mind, but mostly it’s a need for support. The memories of the last time he walked on this ground are all too vivid - the shattered structure, the burnt remnants of walls, are almost as clear as the new building. To have Quill's hand gently pressing his, Quill who had been dead then, to feel Quill's feathers brush against him as he steps closer to his side, it all helps keep him grounded in the present.

Once they step inside the new mansion, it becomes easier. The layout, the decor, everything is different enough he can almost forget where he is. Still, he keeps holding on to Quill, until a servant approaches to take their coats and cloaks, and he has to let go. Once they've disposed of their wraps, their hosts usher them into the dining room. With the same slight smile she'd worn outside, Edela waves Quill and Lucius to adjacent seats. Lucius smiles back at her, knowing that for the recognition of their relationship it is. Quill, of course, doesn't know these points of high elf etiquette, but Lucius can still see him relax as he notices the exchange of smiles.

There's no mention of the secret base made until after dinner. Edela waits until all the servants have left the room, then pulls out a silver key and a piece of parchment.

“This will open one of the doors to the space you requested, Lord Elenasto,” she explains, handing him the key. “The lock and the key are both enchanted, so the key cannot be duplicated. The door is hidden in one of the side rooms, I'll show you where it is in a moment. The servants have orders to treat you as honoured guests and let you in even if we aren't here, naturally.”

“One of the doors?” Quill asks.

“There's another hidden in one of the outbuildings. That one is magically locked, and will only allow Lord Elenasto in - currently, that is. This scroll explains how you can add other people to the spell.”

“We're rather proud of that one, it's a very obscure spell!” Neera adds. “We were only able to use it because this land belonged to the Elenastos for so long.”

* * *

Alone in their secret base at last, the five friends look around admiringly. Part of it is already furnished. The central room holds a large table and chairs at one end, and storage shelves and cupboards line one of the side walls. Several doors in the opposite wall lead to smaller rooms, one holding a well-stocked workbench, another several bunks recessed into the wall. Further rooms are empty; the Virenor sisters explained they had left it that way deliberately, so they could furnish them as they needed. Aila immediately starts planning for an armory in one, and Nova for a library in another, while Sentry wistfully suggests the ‘warm room’ she had wanted for the airship.

“Do you think she's already here?” Lucius asks Quill.

Quill moves his hand in an arcane gesture and looks around thoughtfully. “I'm not sure… but there's magic auras in a few of the cupboards, and... a little about the workbench, but I can't tell what…”

He frowns in that direction, clearly suspicious of something. There's a soft laugh, achingly familiar to Lucius, and suddenly Edea - in her Moonstar costume, though with the mask slung from her belt - is standing there. “I see you’re still as sharp-eyed as before!”

Lucius rushes forward and hugs her tightly. Edea stiffens for a moment, startled, then returns the hug.

“It's so good to see you again, brother,” she says, pulling away at last. Looking around at the others, she adds, “It's good to see all of you, you look a lot better than the last time I saw you!”

“It's good to see you too, I have so many questions about the gauntlet you made for Lucius, and about all your things, and how were you invisible just now?” Nova says, very fast.

Edea laughs. “Just something I made. I'm not as good with magic as Lucius, but I can manage a few trinkets. And you've got some new things yourselves!” Her eyes linger curiously on several of them - Sentry's changed matrix, Nova's metallic glove - but especially on Quill's new wing.

“Nova made it,” Quill explains, waving the wing awkwardly as he notices her scrutiny.

“May I take a closer look at it? And would you tell me how it works?” Edea asks them both, face bright with interest.

Quill agrees resignedly, Nova enthusiastically, and in a matter of moments Nova and Edea are talking rapidly over the artificial wing. The others wait a little, examining the room, knowing how futile it can be to try and interrupt Nova talking science! Eventually, though, Quill mouths a “help me” at Sentry, who promptly intervenes.

“Edea? How were you able to get in here?” she asks. “The Virenors said we have the only key to one of the doors, and that the other would only let Lucius in unless he allowed someone else to use it specially. If they’re wrong about that we’ll have to do something about it, or the base won’t be safe.”

Edea looks up from her inspection of the wing and smiles. “I came in through the outside door, but don’t worry, it’s still safe. It's just not quite true that it'll only let Lucius in, it will work for any Elenasto - which as far as they know means just Lucius.”

“Oh! Lucky for you they used that spell, then,” Lucius replies.

“Lucky?” Edea scoffs. “How do you think they got the idea? I followed Careena to the Archives and put that book on the top of her pile.”

Lucius laughs, impressed. “And you've been using the base without them noticing ever since?”

“Once they finished furnishing it they haven't really been back down here, that part was easy enough. If they hadn't used that spell I'd have had a bit more trouble, but I was fairly confident they would once they saw it, it was so perfect for what they wanted.”

“I wonder if it would let Fayeth in too?” Nova says, thinking out loud.

Lucius glares at her, but the damage is already done, as his sister repeats, “Fayeth?” in a tone that says she wants answers.

“Lucius got drunk married,” Aila tells her, chuckling, before Lucius can work out how to begin. “What?” she asks, as he spins around to glare at her instead. “It's the truth!”

“Well - yes - but - ” he splutters indignantly.

“Wait, seriously? You got drunk? And married?” Edea asks, wide-eyed with surprise.

“The marriage isn't really - it was a ruse,” he explains. “We're just friends, it was to help Fayeth out… I was drunk, though,” he admits.

“That sounds more like you… well, the helping a friend part, not the drunk part,” Edea says. “And I don't think it would let her open the door either way, though it may be worth testing - I'm fairly sure it will only work for an Elenasto by blood. It's an obscure spell, and more so now since I stole the book from the Archives,” (Nova looks horrified at that) “but I think that's how it works. They told you how to add other people to the enchantment, right?”

“Yes, I should do that,” Lucius replies rather abstractedly. He hadn't particularly been planning on telling Edea about his drunk marriage to Fayeth, but he does want to tell her about his relationship with Quill, and this feels like the right time to do it. “Can I talk to you privately for a moment first? In here, maybe?” He gestures towards one of the empty rooms. Quill catches Lucius’s eye for an instant, a question in his expression, and Lucius gives him the smallest of nods.

“Of course, what is it?” Edea asks curiously, as she follows him into the side chamber, while the others tactfully resume looking about the main room.

“I… I wanted to tell you something… personal,” Lucius says, and falls silent, searching for the right words.

Edea watches him hesitate, a slight smile playing on the corners of her mouth, then takes pity on him. “Something to do with Quill, by any chance?”

Lucis looks at her in astonishment. “Yes…” He winces. “Is it that obvious?”

“You're not good at hiding your feelings,” Edea tells him, then admits, “And I was watching when you arrived, I saw you holding hands. I think I’d have guessed anyway, though.”

“We've been together for a couple of months now,” Lucius says. “You… don't disapprove, do you?”

“Of course not!” Edea sounds almost offended at the question. “If he makes you happy - you are happy, aren't you?”

“So happy,” Lucius replies with a brilliant smile. “He's so wonderful and I love him so much!”

“Then I'm delighted for you, silly.”

“Thank you, that means so much. Being back here… I can't help but think… Daddy wouldn’t have approved, would he?”

Edea sighs. “Honestly, Lucius, I don’t know. I was afraid he and Mother would disapprove of Lorna, that’s why I kept it secret… I’ve wondered since if maybe they’d have been happy for me - they loved us, you know, they wanted us to be happy. Or if they’d have come round to it eventually, at least… I’ve wondered if whether I’d told them, if she wouldn’t have been in the mansion that night - or if I would have been too…” She shakes her head. “I don’t have an answer, I’m sorry.”

“I never got the chance to tell you before, I’m so sorry about Lorna,” Lucius says quietly. “You know I would have been happy for you, right?”

“I know,” Edea replies with a slight, sad smile. “I was just worried you’d go and tell someone by mistake, you never could keep a secret.”

Lucius wrinkles his nose at her, but doesn’t even try to argue. “There were so many expectations for us growing up, weren’t there? So many rules about what it was to be an Elenasto… I hadn’t really thought about it before, and of course it doesn’t change how I feel about Quill! I know how incredibly lucky I am, I just wish… wish I could believe they’d see it like that too.”

Edea throws a sympathetic arm around his shoulders. “I think… we get to make the rules now. And one of those rules has to be that we don't live our lives by what they would have approved of! We have to live by what makes us happy, what we think is the right thing to do.”

“Yes, you’re right… I still miss them so much, you know.”

“So do I.”

They’re silent for a few moments, then Lucius takes a deep breath and smiles at her. “I’m so glad you’re still here.”

“I’m glad you are, too… I know you’re busy saving the world, but do you think you’ll come home again soon? Just to visit?”

Again, there it is, that strange discomfort at the question of coming home. “I… I’ll try. I'll ask Quill to send you messages at least, and let you know I'm fine… Actually, could I write to you? Do you have an address? Where are you living?” Suddenly, he feels guilty for not asking any of this sooner. For all Edea's obvious competence, he should have at least checked she has somewhere to live!

Edea nods, pulling paper and pen from her pocket. “I've got a place, I'm using a fake name,” she says, scribbling rapidly. “You can write to me here, and I’ll reply if I can manage it safely. Don't go and put your name as a return address on it, though!”

“I'm not that dumb,” Lucius replies, rolling his eyes.

“Could've fooled me,” Edea teases. “Come on, we should get back to your friends.”

* * *

Once more, Lucius stands on the top deck of the Stormchaser, this time watching Gusthaven fall away. To his surprise, he feels… relieved? No, that's not it, he can already feel the worries of everything they need to do mounting up! But there’s still a lightness in him, a gladness to be back on their ship.

“How did it feel to be home again?” Quill asks, coming up beside him - and at the question, Lucius finally understands what he’s feeling, what he’s been feeling since they first decided to go to Gusthaven.

Lucius turns around to smile at his boyfriend, and at the rest of their friends standing nearby. “It was good to see Edea again, and to see what the Virenor sisters have made of the estate, but… I don't think it's home any more. I’ll always be from Gusthaven, it’ll always be a part of me, but it isn’t home. I think the Stormchaser is home for me, now. Does that make sense?”

“It - it does to me,” Quill says quietly, wrapping his wing around Lucius’s shoulders in a gentle hug.

Nova looks thoughtful. “I’m not sure I feel quite the same way, Vortensaar still feels like home to me - but so does the Stormchaser now.”

“I’ll always be Sentry of Solwynn, even if Solwynn is gone, but I’m Sentry of the Stormchaser, too,” Sentry agrees.

They all look at Aila, who grimaces at them. “Are you really going to make me say it too? Fine, yes, this stupid ship is home for me as well.”

Nova grins and gives her a quick hug. “You love us, you know you do.”

“Sure,” Aila replies, tone sarcastic, but her expression softens into a smile.

Lucius waves one hand to encompass Nova, Sentry, and Aila, and reaches up with the other to take Quill’s where it rests on his shoulder. “This is home.”


End file.
